Patterning mechanism for knitting machines



July 17, 1956 F. E. DEANS EI'AL 2,754,658

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 17, 1956 F. E. DEANS ET AL PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR'KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 2, 1951 1 y 5 F. E. DEANS ET AL 2,754,668

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 (2 l i I Lb Inventors I a W 3 y a; W

July 17, 1956 F. E. DEANS ET AL 2,754,663

PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 2. 1951 y 17. 1956 F, E. DEANS ETAL 2,754,668

PATTERNING MECHANIM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w r K I fi I Q) n LUZW United States Patent PATTERNING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Frederick Edward Deans, Carlyle Herbert Wainwright, and Tom Leslie Mountain, Leicester, England, assignors to The Bentley Engineering Company Limited, Leicester, England Application October 2, 1951, Serial No. 249,232 Claims priority, application Great Britain October 9, 1950 11 Claims. (Cl. 66-14) This invention concerns patterning mechanisms for knitting machines and primarily concerns that type of mechanism Which comprises a pattern drum. As commonly constructed, a pattern drum is racked round step by step always in the same direction so that the course-wise length of any pattern that it can produce is limited by the circumferential length of the drum. It often occurs however, that the patterns in knitted goods are symmetrical about the centre line in their length. This renders it possible to devote, for, example, the entire circumference of a pattern drum to half the pattern and to rack the drum first in one direction to produce half the pattern and then in the reverse direction to produce the other half of the pattern.

The present invention therefore provides patterning mechanism for a knitting machine comprising abody movable to and fro about an axis and having provision for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means on the body and/or movable with it to control the direction of rack.

Preferably the patterning projections are removable pins or screws received in holes in the body. While it is within the scopeof the invention to construct the body in partcylindrical form yet preferably the body consists of a complete drum or cylinder. This has an advantage that according to circumstances the body may be racked continuously in the same direction (for example in the production of patterns that are not symmetrical) or first in one direction and then in the other.

According to a feature of the invention the patterning mechanism is provided with means for holding the body stationary and inoperative for a pre-determined time (for example, during the production of a heel or stockingor the like) while according to a further important subsidiary feature means are provided for rendering the body inoperative for patterning purposes but permitting it to be racked round until a pre-determined point is reached. Thus, for example, at the end of the patterned area of a stocking the selecting mechanism may be put out of action and the drum or other body racked round until it reaches the point at which it is disposed to start the pattern for the next stocking.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the selecting mechanism which will now be described as an example suitable for circular knitting machines, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the patterning mechanism;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; 7

Figure 3 is a plan view taken on the line III-Ill in Figure 2 .and showing the location of the mechanism in respect-to aneedle cylinder;

Figure 4 is a true plan view of the mechanism;

Figure 5 is a plan view of part of the mechanism with the top plate hereinafter mentioned, removed;

2,754,668 Patented July 17, 1956 Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of certain of the parts shown in Figure '5;

Figure 7 is a developed view of the interior of the top cam box of a super-imposed needle cylinder machine, looking on the inside of the cams which control the various instruments in the top needle cylinder; this figure includes at the right hand side a double ended needle, a typical slider, a slidable bit and a pattern jack.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 3 and 4 the circle 10 indicates a needle cylinder or cylinders and the member 11 is a post forming part of the frame of the knitting machine. The station at which the patterning mechanism provided by the present invention acts is indicated by the letter X, in Figures 3 and 4.

It may here be pointed out, however, that the invention is primarily but not exclusively applicable to super-imposed needle cylinder machines, such as are sold under the registered trademark Komet, for the purpose of controlling the movements of the sliders in the upper needle cylinder in the production of links-links fabric. Machines of this type are well known; they have super-imposed cylinders represented diagrammatically at 10 in Figures 3 and 4, and each cylinder is equipped with sliders (whereof a representative slider of the top cylinder is indicated at 1 in Figure 7) by which double ended needles are operated. In view of the known character and operation of such machines further description or illustration of their conventional features is unnecessary but, in the present instance above each slider in the top cylinder and in the same trick there is a slidable bit 2 having a butt 3 which throughout the major part of a circle of movements travels in a high inactive track 4 such that the bot tom end of the bit is above the highest position to which the sliders 1 are retracted. Above each bit 2 and in the same trick there is a pattern jack 5 capable of slidable and rocking movements, being provided with a fulcrum point 6 midway in the length of the jack which bears against the back of the trick. Each jack is provided near its top end with an operating butt 7 and on one or more of a series of selecting levels is provided with a selecting butt 8. -It is on these butts 8 that the mechanism provided by the present invention operates.

Turning now to the patterning mechanism, in the example illustrated the body aforesaid consists of a pin drum 12 which is rotatably mounted betwen upper and lower plates 13 and 14 which are themselves secured to the pillar 11. i

The pin drum 12 has its periphery drilled with a multiplicity of rings of holes 15 at axially-spaced selecting levels. These holes 15 are arranged to receive removable push-inpins 16. One of the rings, preferably the top one, is devoted to controlling the direction of rack of the drum 12 and is referred to as the control ring, and the others are devoted to producing the pattern.

At its top end the pin-drum 12 is provided with a square-toothed rack wheel 17 and two opposed clawkers 18, 19, for racking it in opposite direction. It is also provided with a bluff plate 20 which is movable about the axis of the drum into two alternative positions in one of which it bluffs one clawker (hereinafter termed the first clawker) so that the drum is racked in one direction and in the other of which it bluffs the other clawker (hereinafter termed the second clawker) so that the drum is racked in the opposite direction. This bluff plate 20 is urged in the clockwise direction (Fig. 4) by a biasing spring 21 extending between an anchorage 22 on plate '13 and an anchorage 23 on the bluff and is movable in the other direction through the medium of a tension spring 24 extending from anchorage 25 to a lever 26 at the top end of the vertical rock shaft, which is arranged to be rocked by'a pin or pins of the control ring. At its lower end this rock shaft 27 has an operating block 28 provided with an inclined face 29 (Fig. co-operating with one end of a pin 30 transfixing a rock shaft 31; the other end of pin 30 is disposed in the track of pins in the control ring of drum 12, and shaft 31 is biased by spring 32 so that pin 31 normally occupies the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. In this position it acts on block 28 to hold the spring 24 stressed and (spring 24 being stronger than spring 21) to hold the bluff plate 20 in position to bluff pawl 19 and to render pawl 18 operative to rack the drum 12 in the anti-clockwise direction. When such racking of the drum brings a pin in the control ring against pin 30 the latter is swung to the dotted line position; owing to the inclined face 29 the block 28 is freed for movement to the dotted line position so that the tension on spring 24 is relaxed and spring 21 turns the bluff plate 20 to bluff pawl 18 and to free pawl 19 so that the drum 12 then racks in the clockwise direction, until the same or another pin in the control ring (e. g. suitably disposed to define the end of the area of the drum used for to-and-fro racking) shifts pin 30 back to the full line position.

It will thus be seen that the drum 12 can continue to rack to and fro indefinitely. In order to permit it to rack round continually one of the clawkers is put out of action in any suitable manner. For this purpose, shaft 27 carries a second lever 33 having a flexible cable 34 connected to it which cable is operable in any conventional manner from a suitable control such as a pattern chain or cam drum, it being appreciated that when the cable is pulled pawl 19 is bluffed and the self-reversing mechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is rendered inoperative so that drum 12 continues to rack in the anti-clockwise direction.

The two opposed clawkers 18, 19, are carried on a slide 35 which extends chordally across the top end of the pin-drum in suitable guides on plate 13, this slide having one end 35' presented towards the needle cylinder to be engaged by a cam 36 rotated with the latter and provided with a spring 37 which urges it towards the cylinder. It will therefore be seen that by holding the slide 35 away from the cylinder the pin-drum may be held stationary.

It is in fact desirable to hold the pin-drum 12 stationary while the heel of a sock is being knitted so that when the instep needles are returned to activity in the usual manner after the completion of the heel, patterning may be resumed at the same point in the pattern as that at which it was suspended at the commencement of the heel. This is effected by means of a pivoted latch 38 which is arranged to latch in front of a projection 39 on the slide 35. This latch 38 is urged by a spring 139 to the engaged position and is connected by a flexible cable 40 to mechanism which draws it towards the dis engaging position, the said mechanism being operated by a suitable control (e. g. cam drum, or chain) on the knitting machine.

Since while the drum is stationary it is necessary for it to be inoperative as regards efiecting patterning changes means are provided for moving certain transmitting levers 41 (which are provided, one at each selecting level, to be acted on by the pins 16 of the drum and thereby to transmit the patterning dictates of the drum) to inoperative position as hereinafter described.

It will usually so happen that the completion of a sock or stocking does not coincide with the end of the pattern. Therefore between the completion of one sock or stocking and the commencement of the pattern area on the next sock' or stocking it is desirable for the pin-drum to be racked round to a starting point, the drum being inoperative during this idle racking.

For this purpose there is a second latch 42 which is urged by a spring 43 to latch round the aforesaid projection 39. This latch is normally held in an inoperative position by means of a follower 44 which bears against the rim of a corrector plate 45 having a recess 46 into which the follower can drop at the appropriate time to permit the latch 42 to move in to its latching position. The corrector plate is locked to the rack wheel 17 and the pin drum 12 in such position that the recess 46 is presented to the follower 44 at the start of the pattern. Therefore, if the patterning mechanism is rendered inoperative before the completion of the pattern, the pin drum 12 will rack idly round until the pins for the start of the next pattern are presented to the transmitting levers 41 (all ready for the next article) and at this stage the drum will be stopped by the follower 44 dropping into the recess 46 so that latch 42 locks slide 35.

The latch 42 is connected by a link 47 to a lever 48 on a rock shaft 49, mounted in the top and bottom plates 13, 14, and carrying a block 50 (Figure 3) disposed between a spindle 65 and levers 52a, 52b. In the position shown in Figure 3, these levers prevent such movement of the block 50 as would permit latch 42 to move in to drum stopping position. Movement of these levers 52a, 52b (on spindle 71) by cables 53a, 53b (operated by any conventional control mechanism) against the action of springs 54a, 54b to permit the block 50 to swing and the latch to move to stopping position also renders the patterning mechanism inoperative. That is to say, when the patterning mechanism (or a part of it as hereinafter described) is rendered inoperative the drum 12 is immediately stopped if at this stage it has reached the end of a pattern, or if the drum has not reached the end of a pattern it continues to rack idly round until it reaches its end-of-pattern position.

The pin-drum 1.2 acts on a battery of transmitting levers 41'one for each ring of pins 16 other than the control ring, and these transmitting levers transmit the dictates of the drum to a battery of selecting cams 51 which operate at station X on jacks 5 in the needle cylinder.

The transmitting levers 41 are of sheet metal and are flat. Instead of being pivoted (as is usual in a battery of levers) upon a spindle that transfixes them all, each of them has a fulcrum notch 69 in one edge intermediate its ends and these fulcrum notches engage the rounded vertical edge 70 of a fulcrum plate 54. Each lever is provided with a tension spring 55 which holds it against the fulcrum plate and this spring further fulfills the function of urging a feeler 56 of the associated lever towards the pattern drum 12 and the other end towards the needle cylinder 10.

The last mentioned end of each transmitting lever is engaged between butts 57, 58, on the associated selecting cam 51. Each selecting cam conveniently consists of a strip of sheet metal disposed radially of the cylinder but with its underface at the required angle (Figures 1 and 7) to engage and lower the selecting butts 8 provided on the jacks 5 at the various selecting levels. These strips are guided on slots cut at the appropriate angle in the two webs of a vertically-channeled post 59 which is supported at the desired height by a flat plate 60 attached to pillar 61. Thus the pillar may be rotated to adjust the position of the earns 51 and then locked in position. The transmitting levers 41 are guided in combs 62, 63 which constitute the sole means by which the transmitting levers are held in the required spaced relation (comb 63 is a spacing pillar between plates 13, 14).

In order to render the drum inoperative the fulcrum plate 54 together with its associated levers 41 and springs 51 is movable about a vertical pivot 65 parallel with the axis of the drum. This movement is effected with only a small increase in the tension of the individual springs. The movement therefore requires little effort but the conjoint spring tension is adequate to return the fulcrum 54 and the cables 53a, 53b (hereinafter mentioned) when the pull on the latter is relaxed.

64 pivoted on shaft 65, its normal position being determined by screw means 66. If block 64 is swung in the anti-clockwise direction, Figure 3, levers 41 pivot on the backs of the slots of comb 63 and therefore shift cams 51 away from the needle cylinder. This movement of the fulcrum plate 54 is effected by lever mechanism generally indicated by reference 52 in Figure 2 (and in fact comprising the two levers 52a, 52b already mentioned). The reason for these two levers will now be explained.

It may be desirable to devote the upper part of the drum to the production of one pattern (for example, for the turned over top of the stocking) and the bottom part of the drum to another pattern (for example, for the leg of a stocking). The fulcrum plate 54 is therefore divided at 67 into upper and lower parts 54a, 54b corresponding to the two parts of the drum and block 64 is similarly divided into two parts 64a, 64b so that either part of fulcrum plate, together with the group of transmitting levers mounted on it, may be shifted at will to an inoperative position. The movement of each part of the fulcrum plate, and the movement of the two'parts in unison, is effected by a suitable control mechanism 53, comprising flexible cables 53a, 53b extending from an appropriate control such, for example, as a cam drum or chain on the knitting machine to the respective levers 52a, 52b which have parts 68a, 68b adapted to bear against the respective parts 54a, 54b of the fulcrum plate. It is in this manner that the pin-drum is rendered inoperative while it is held stationary during the knitting of the heel and while it is being racked idly back to its starting point after the finish of a stocking or the like.

Obviously, the fulcrum plate 54 may if desired be made in a single part, in which case only one lever 52 is necessary.

In the construction of seamless knitted goods it is usual for the pattern change as between one course and the next to be made always at the same point in the circumference of the knitted tube: in the case of a stocking or sock invariably at the back of the leg. This pattern change is of course produced by a rack of the pindrum above mentioned. The patterns commonly employed in knitted goods necessitate the selecting butts in the jacks (such as butts 8 on jacks being disposed either in a series of diagonals or in a series of Vs around the circumference of the cylinder. The danger therefore arises (unless steps are taken to avoid it) that at the time that the drum is racked and some of the selecting cams are shifted between their operative and inoperative positions some of these cams will still be engaged with butts on the jacks. Therefore the movement imparted to these butts and to their jacks will be incomplete. Therefore, in order to produce a clear pattern change the movement of those of the cams 51 which have the above mentioned liability is slightly delayed with relation to the movements of the other cams, so that the firstmentioned cams do not move until the butts have passed them. This is best effected by staggering the feelers 56 of the transmitting levers 41 of the first mentioned or late cams so that these feelers are engaged and acted on by the pins on the pin-drum slightly later than the others. The degree of staggering with regard to the extent of each rack and the width of the feeler end on each lever is-such that one rack will cause all transmitting levers (for which pins are provided) to be raised by the pins, and the next rack will shift these pins out of range of the feeler ends. Such staggered feelers are indicated 'at '56 in Fig. 3.

This arrangement of itself would be adequate to prevent the ditficulties discussed were the pin-drum always to rack in the same direction but in the present invention the pin-drum racks in both directions. Obviously, in the reverse rack, the non-staggered feelers are acted on later by the pins later than the staggered ends, and the degree of lateness is unavoidably such that one or more of the cams associated with the non-staggered feelers would move while it is still engaged with a butt were the reverse racks of the pin-drum to be made at the same period in the rotation of the cylinder as the forward racks. This may be avoided by providing two clawker slides, one for the forward clawker and the other for the reverse clawker, for this automatically ensures that one clawker makes an operative stroke in advance of the other so that the reverse racks occur at an earlier period in the cylinder rotation than forward racks, with the net result that in a reverse rack the cams associated with the non-staggered feelers are moved at the same period as in a forward rack but the other cams are moved early; thus each cam is moved at a period when it is not engaged with a butt.

Figure 7 is an example of the application of the invention. The butts '7 of the sliders 5 normally travel in a high inactive track 76 and the butts 3 of the bits 2 in a high inoperative track 77, throughout the major part of their circle of movement. Immediately before the se-v lecting station X these butts are lowered by cams 78 and '79. This brings butts '7 into range of a depressing cam 86. Butts 7 that are not lowered still further by the selecting cams 51 are pressed into their tricks by the depressing cam 8t) and pass behind operating cam 81. The butts 7 of jacks which are lowered by selecting cams 51 pass below the depressing cam 30 and are engaged by the operating earn 61 and lowered still further. Such further downward movement of the jacks lowers the butts 3 of bits 2 from track 82 into the range of a bit-actuating cam 84. This cam lowers the bits until they engage the sliders 1 and bring the latter into the range of operation of transfer cams 85, 86. The bits and jacks are subsequently restored to their tracks 77, 76, by earns 87, 88. The cam 89 is a bolt cam which may be interposed in track 82 to lower butts 3 of a group of bits 2 into the range of cam 84.

We claim:

1. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a body movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, means for holding the body stationary and inoperative for a predetermined time, and means for rendering the body inoperative for patterning purposes but permitting it to be racked round until a predetermined point is reached.

2. Mechanism according to claiml, having transmitting members for transmitting the pattern dictates of the body, and means for shifting said members to inoperative position.

3. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a body movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, two pawls for racking the body in opposite directions, and reversing means controllable by at least one patterning projection at a control level for rendering said pawls operable alternately thereby to cause the body to be racked to and fro.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3, having control mechanism for rendering the reversing means inoperable and for rendering one pawl only operative thereby to cause the body to be racked unidirectionally.

5. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a body movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, the body consisting of a drum or cylinder, transmitting members for transmitting the pattern dictates of the body, means for shifting said members to inoperative position, a pawl and a ratchet wheel for racking the drum round, means for shifting the pawl to and fro to rack the ratchet wheel, a catch for preventing operation of the pawl, a corrector moving with the drum and preventing operation of the catch except at a predetermined point in the periphery of the drum, and control mechanism for simultaneously shifting the transmitting members to inoperative position and for rendering the catch operable subject to the control of the corrector, whereby the drum continues to be racked, While'the transmitting members are inoperative, until the said predetermined point is reached.

6. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, com prising a body movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, means for holding the body stationary and inoperative for a predetermined time, means for rendering the body inoperative for patterning purposes but permitting it to be racked round until a predetermined point is reached, transmitting members for transmitting the pattern dictates of the body, means for shifting said members to inoperative position, said transmitting members being divided into two groups, and said control mechanism being arranged to shift one group to inoperative position while the other group remains operative.

7. Mechanism according to claim 6, having a control mechanism for each of the two groups of transmitting members.

8. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a body movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, the body consisting of a drum or cylinder, and selecting cams movable by the drum or body, each of said cams being a sheet metal strip disposed in an inclined plane.

9. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a pin drum having circumferentially-extending rows of holes at spaced levels, including a control level, for the reception of patterning projections, a frame and means mounting the drum rotatably in it, a battery of transmitting levers, one for each of the plurality of the levels, for actuation by the projections, a battery of cams for individual actuation by the respective transmitting levers, a rack wheel connected to the drum, forward and reverse pawls for acting on the rack Wheel to rack the drum in forward and reverse directions, a bluff for bluffing either pawl and having alternative positions, reversing mechanism for causing the drum to be racked to and fro and comprising reversing means controllable by at least one projection of the control row to cause the bluff to shift to and fro between its alternative positions, control mechanism for rendering the reversing mechanism operative and inoperative and, in the latter event, to cause the bluff to bluff the reverse pawl and to permit the forward pawl to act whereby the drum is racked forward, means for rendering the transmitting levers inoperative and a further control mechanism for actuating said reversing means and for rendering one pawl inoperative and for causing the drum to rack idly round to a. predetermined position.

10. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising abody movable to and fro about an axis and having provision at spaced levels for axially spaced, but circumferentially extending, rows of patterning projections disposed in at least part cylindrical form about said axis, and mechanism for racking said body round in each direction, characterised by means movable with the body to control the direction of rack, the body consisting of a drum or cylinder, transmitting members for transmitting the pattern dictates of the body, means for shifting said members to inoperative position, a pawl and a ratchet wheel for racking the drum round, means for shifting the pawl to and fro to rack the ratchet wheel, a catch for preventin" operation of the pawl, a corrector moving with the drum and preventing operation of the catch except at a predetermined point in the periphery of the drum, control mechanism for simultaneously shifting the transmitting members to inoperative position and for rendering the catch operable subject to the control of the corrector, whereby the drum continues to be racked, while the transmitting members are inoperative, until the said predetermined point is reached, said transmitting members being divided into two groups and said control mechanism being arranged to shift one group to inoperative position while the other group remains operative, and having such control mechanism for each of the two groups of transmitting members.

11. Patterning mechanism for a knitting machine, comprising a pin drum having circumferentially extending rows of holes at spaced levels, including a control level, for the reception of patterning projections, a frame and means mounting the drum rotatably in it, a battery of transmitting levers, one for each of the plurality of the levels, for actuation by the projections, a battery of cams for individual actuation by the respective transmitting levers, a rack wheel connected to the drum, forward and reverse pawls for acting on the rack wheel to rack the drum in forward and reverse directions, a bluff for bluffing either pawl and having alternative positions, reversing mechanism for causing the drum to be racked to and fro and comprising reversing means controllable by at least one projection of the control row to cause the bluff to shift to and fro between its alternative positions, control mechanism for rendering the reversing mechanism operative and inoperative and, in the latter event, to cause the bluff to bluff the reverse pawl and to permit the forward pawl to act whereby the drum is racked forward, means for rendering the transmitting levers inoperative, a control mechanism for rendering both pawls inoperative, and a further control mechanism for actuating said reversing means and for rendering one pawl inoperative and for causing the drum to rack idly round to a predetermined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,712,660 Friedmann May 14, 1929 2,040,946 Marshall et al. May 19, 1936 2,052,777 Lawson Sept. 1, 1936 2,070,762 Wainwright Feb. 16, 1937 2,078,571 Holmes Apr. 27, 1937 2,110,823 Spiers et al. Mar. 8, 1938 2,378,315 Minton June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 443,736 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1936 514,261 Great Britain Nov. 3, 1939 

